Wireless ambulatory care network

ABSTRACT

A method for connecting wireless devices using Bluetooth® low energy can be used to connect wireless computing devices with a medical device in an ambulatory care setting. The wireless computing devices can receive measured vital sign data and transmit the vital sign data to a patient&#39;s electronic medical record. The wireless computing devices can be configured to include a user-friendly name and the transmitter power in one or more advertising broadcasts. The medical device can receive advertising broadcasts from one or more wireless computing devices and sort the devices by proximity, last use, number of times used, or alphabetically. After the devices exchange information over Bluetooth® low energy, the devices can connect in Bluetooth® Classic. Systems for implementing the method are also disclosed.

BACKGROUND

Medical professionals input vital signs measurements into a patient'selectronic medical record so they can be saved and used later. Manydevices that can measure a patient's vital signs produce the measurementas an electronic signal. In order for a medical professional to enterrecorded measurements into a patient's electronic medical record, theprofessional must remember and enter the measurements in a separateportal, such as a workstation computer.

The Bluetooth® wireless protocol enables devices with Bluetooth® radiosto communicate information in a one-way or two-way exchange. Somemedical devices have Bluetooth® radios. Many portable computing devices,such as laptop computers, smart phones and tablet computers also haveBluetooth® radios.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a method for connecting with a wireless device isdisclosed. The method can include receiving, at a host computing device,a Bluetooth® low-energy broadcast from one or more wireless devices thatare in a range of the host computing device; identifying the one or morewireless devices; sorting the one or more wireless devices; displaying aname for each of the one or more wireless devices; and connecting to oneof the one or more wireless devices.

The method can optionally include receiving a transmitter power from atleast one of the one or more wireless devices, wherein the one or morewireless devices are sorted by the received transmitter power from atleast one of the one or more wireless devices, determining the signalstrength of the one or more wireless devices, receiving a transmitterpower from at least one of the one or more wireless devices; anddetermining a distance of the one or more wireless devices from the hostcomputing device using the signal strength and the transmitter power ofthe one or more wireless devices, wherein the one or more wirelessdevices are sorted using the distance from each wireless device to thehost computing device. Additionally, the method can include pre-pairingthe one or more wireless devices with the host computing device; settinga user-friendly alias that corresponds to the media access control (MAC)address of the one or more wireless devices; wherein the names displayedcorrespond to the user friendly alias of the one or more wirelessdevices; and wherein the name comprises up to 28 bytes. The one or morewireless devices can be sorted by the order in which the wirelessdevices were last connected to the host computing device. The method canalso include pre-selecting one of the one or more wireless devices basedon the wireless device most recently connected to the host computingdevice.

In a second aspect, a method for connecting to a host computing deviceis disclosed. The method can include activating a Bluetooth® low-energyradio of a wireless device, broadcasting a user-friendly name in one ormore non-connectable undirected advertising events via the Bluetooth®low-energy radio, and forming a Bluetooth® Classic connection with thehost computing device. Additionally, the method in this aspect caninclude broadcasting a transmitter power of the wireless device, whereinthe user-friendly name comprises up to 28 bytes, pre-pairing thewireless device with the host computing device. The method in thisaspect can also include deactivating the Bluetooth® low-energy radio,wherein the user-friendly name comprises up to 31 bytes.

In another aspect, a system for communicating vital signs datawirelessly is disclosed. The system can include a host computing deviceincluding non-transient storage media containing instructions storedthereon, where the instructions, when executed by one or moreprocessors, cause the host computing device to receive a Bluetooth®low-energy broadcast from one or more electronic medical records portalcomputing devices; identify one or more electronic medical recordsportal computing devices that are in a range of the host computingdevice; sort the one or more electronic medical records portal computingdevices; display a name for each of the one or more electronic medicalrecords portal computing devices; and connect to one of the one or moreelectronic medical records portal computing devices; wherein theelectronic medical records portal computing device includesnon-transient storage media containing instructions stored thereon,where the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, causethe host computing device to: activate a Bluetooth® low-energy radio;broadcast a user-friendly name via the Bluetooth® low-energy radio; forma Bluetooth® Classic connection with the host computing device; anddeactivate the Bluetooth® low-energy radio.

The system can also include a host computing device that is furtherconfigured to receive one or more vital sign measurements of a patient;and send the one or more vital sign measurements to the electronicmedical records portal computing device, wherein the electronic medicalrecords portal computing device is further configured to receive the oneor more vital sign measurements from the host computing device. Theelectronic medical records portal computing device can be furtherconfigured to send one or more of the one or more vital signmeasurements to an electronic medical record corresponding to thepatient, wherein the host computing device disconnects from theelectronic medical records portal computing device after sending the oneor more vital sign measurements. The host computing device can furtherbe configured to determine the signal strength of the one or moreelectronic medical records portal computing devices; receive atransmitter power from the electronic medical records portal computingdevice; and determine a distance of the electronic medical recordsportal computing device from the host computing device using the signalstrength and the transmitter power of the one or more electronic medicalrecords portal computing devices.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a wireless ambulatory care system.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example medical device of the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates another example medical device of the system of FIG.1.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example method for using theexample wireless ambulatory care system.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating example components of generatinga list of wireless computing devices.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example user interface for selecting a wirelesscomputing device.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating physical components of acomputing device with which examples and embodiments of the disclosurecan be practiced.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Examples of ambulatory care environments can include hospitals, clinics,managed care facilities, and other locations where medical care isprovided. Medical personnel in ambulatory care environments can utilizevital sign monitoring devices, vital sign displays, personal computingdevices and electronic medical record access portals. Medical staff andproviders often need to record a patient's vital signs and enter thosevital signs into the patient's electronic medical record. Currently,providers must perform vital sign measurements, remember themeasurements, and then enter those measurements into one or morecomputing devices which may or may not be directly linked to thepatient's electronic medical record.

The Bluetooth® Core Specification Version 4.0 introduced Bluetooth®Smart. Bluetooth® Smart is also known as Bluetooth® Low Energy CoreConfiguration. This document will refer to Bluetooth® Smart asBluetooth® Low Energy, or BTLE. As of Version 4.0, there are three typesof connections possible: (1) Bluetooth® “Classic”, (2) Bluetooth® “HighSpeed”, and (3) Bluetooth® Low Energy. The Bluetooth® Classic connectionhas remained essentially unchanged since Bluetooth® 2.1, with the samepairing and connection model.

Bluetooth® Low Energy uses a different radio than Bluetooth® Classic.Additionally, the pairing and connection models are different forBluetooth® Low Energy than Bluetooth® Classic. Bluetooth® Low Energy canbe used for shorter, more infrequent communication than Bluetooth®Classic. Additionally, Bluetooth® Low Energy, as the name implies, canuse lower power than Bluetooth® Classic.

For the Bluetooth® devices described herein, “pairing” refers to theprocess of two devices meeting, where the devices are previously unknownto each other (“strangers”), using the “inquiry” process. “Discoverable”means a device is willing to form connections with strangers and isperforming an “inquiry scan”. “Discover” means a device is looking toform connections with strangers and is performing “inquiry”. “Paired”means that a “pairing” process is complete: both devices in a connectionare authenticated and share security information. “Bonded” meansinformation obtained during the pairing process is stored in a “paireddevice list” (PDL) or a “trusted device list” (TDL), which can enableskipping the “pairing” process when the bonded devices are trying toconnect.

“Connect” means communicate with known devices. “Connecting” meanslooking to communicate with known devices, which can follow immediatelyafter “pairing”. “Connectable” means a device is willing to formconnections with known devices, which can be stored in a PDL.“Connected” means two devices are able to exchange data. “Disconnect”means to stop communication and break the “connection”.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example wireless ambulatorycare network 100. The example network 100 includes medical devices 103and 104, wireless computing devices 108 and 109, and communicationnetwork 110. In embodiments, the example network 100 can include more orfewer medical devices 103 and 104. In embodiments, the example networkcan include more or fewer wireless computing devices 108 and 109. Thecommunication network 110 can be a wireless network, such as WiFi,Bluetooth, Zigbee, Ant, Z-Wave, etc.

In some embodiments, the one or more medical devices 103 and 104 caninclude one or more vital sign measurement components. For example, themedical devices 103 can include, for example, a thermometer, a heartrate monitor, a pulse oximeter, a non-invasive blood pressure monitor,and a respiration rate monitor. In embodiments, one or more vital signmeasurement components are wirelessly linked to the medical devices 103and 104 and can transmit measurements to the medical devices 103 and104.

The one or more medical devices 103 and 104 have hardware and softwarecomponents that support Bluetooth® Low Energy. Example medical devices103 and 104 are depicted and described in more detail with reference toFIGS. 2-5, below. Example computing components of medical devices 103and 104 are shown and described in more detail with reference to FIG. 7,below.

In some embodiments, the one or more wireless computing devices 108 and109 can be smart phones, tablet computers, personal digital assistants,laptop computers, and desktop computers, which can optionally be mountedon portable carts. Example computing components of the one or morewireless computing devices 108 and 109 are shown and described in moredetail with reference to FIG. 7, below. The use of less complicatedwireless computing devices 108 and 109, such as heart rate monitors,pulse oximeters, etc., is also contemplated by this document.

FIG. 2 illustrates one example of the medical device 105. The medicaldevice 105 is shown on a mobile cart, and the medical device 105 isprogrammed to provide the functionalities described herein. The medicaldevice 105 includes a user interface, such as a touch screen, andincludes the ability to execute multiple workflows or profiles. In someembodiments, the medical devices 105 and 106 in FIGS. 2 and 3 are themedical device 103 or 104 shown in, and described with reference to,FIG. 1. Other embodiments can include more or fewer components thanthose shown in FIG. 2, or include different components that accomplishthe same or a similar function.

The medical device 105 is able to operate within one or more profiles. Aprofile is a series of one or more tasks that a user of the medicaldevice 105 performs. When the medical device 105 operates within aprofile, the medical device 105 provides functionality suitable forassisting the user in performing the profile. When the medical device105 operates within different profiles, the medical device 105 providesdifferent functionality.

When the medical device 105 is manufactured, the medical device 105 isconfigured to be able to operate within one or more profiles. After themedical device 105 is manufactured, the medical device 105 can bereconfigured to operate within one or more additional profiles. In thisway, a user can adapt the medical device 105 for use in differentprofiles as needed.

In various embodiments, the medical device 105 operates within variousprofiles. For example, in some embodiments, the medical device 105 canoperate within a monitoring profile or a non-monitoring profile. Exampletypes of non-monitoring profiles include, but are not limited to, a spotcheck profile and an office profile. An example of a monitoring profileincludes, but is not limited to, an intervals profile.

An additional example of the medical device 106 is shown in FIG. 3. Inthis example, the medical device 106 is similar to that of the medicaldevice 105 described above. In embodiments, the medical device 106 ismounted on a wall. The medical device 106 is programmed in a mannersimilar to that described above to monitor physiological parameters of apatient. In some embodiments, the medical device 106 is a stand-alonedevice, which can mean that is not part of a mobile cart and it is notpart of a wall-mounted station.

The example medical devices 105 and 106 can be provided with hardwareenabling Bluetooth® Classic, Bluetooth® High Speed and Bluetooth® LowEnergy connections. The example medical devices 105 and 106communicating via Bluetooth® Classic can send data using the radiofrequency communication (RFCOMM) transport protocols with a customUniversally Unique Identifier (UUID). The custom UUID can prevent theexample medical devices 105 and 106 from connecting to any device.Additionally, the custom UUID can make it easier for the wirelesscomputing devices 108 and 109 to discover and connect to the examplemedical devices 105 and 106. Generally, wireless computing devices thatsupport “classic” Bluetooth® 2.1 and above also support RFCOMM. Inparticular, iPads® and iPhones® require an authentication coprocessorfor applications to receive RFCOMM data, as well as a special protocolnamed iAP.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an example use 500 of the exemplary wirelessambulatory care network 100. The example use 500 can include powering onthe medical device (step 502), starting a new patient and selecting aconnection (step 504), generating a list of wireless computing devices(step 506), determining whether to select or cancel (step 510),displaying the home screen (step 512), taking vitals (step 514),connecting with a device in the background (step 516), waiting for aconnection (step 518), displaying a connection indicator (step 520),decision whether to transfer to EMR (step 522), decision whether toautomatically transfer to EMR (step 524), initiate transfer to EMR (step526), save or clear decision (step 528), initiate connection andtransfer to EMR (step 530), and document vitals in EMR manually (step532). Example medical devices 103, 104, 105 and 106 described above canbe used in example use 500. Example wireless computing devices 108 and109 can be used in example use 500. Other embodiments may exclude someor all of these steps or add additional steps.

In an embodiment, the medical devices used in the example method 500 arepre-paired with the wireless computing devices. That is, when a userbegins method 500, their wireless computing device has already beenpaired and/or bonded with some or all of the example medical devices inthe facility. In some embodiments, the wireless computing devices thathave been bonded with the medical devices comprise an “approved” devicelist.

Possible advantages of pre-pairing the medical devices with the wirelesscomputing devices include that the user does not need to perform thepairing process each time they see a new patient, and that the user doesnot need to wait for the pairing process to finish. Thepre-configuration of the medical devices and the wireless computingdevices is described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5, below.

In this embodiment, the use begins by powering on the medical device(step 502). A nurse, provider, facility staff, or other personnel mayperform this step in various embodiments (collectively, the “user”). Forthe embodiments where the medical device is mobile, this step may alsoinclude the user physically moving the medical device into the patient'sroom, if it is not already in the patient's room. Additionally, thisstep can include activating the Bluetooth® radio or radios in themedical device.

Once the medical device is powered on, the user can start a new patientand select a connection (step 504) via the medical device's userinterface. Starting a new patient can optionally include entering thepatient's name. In embodiments, at step 504 the medical device creates anew entry in a database, stored locally or in the cloud, for the newpatient. In embodiments, after the user selects “start new patient” (oran equivalent variation thereof), the medical device can begin togenerate a list of devices (step 506). In some embodiments, the medicaldevice uses a static or fixed list and does not generate a list ofdevices when the user selects “start new patient.” Step 506 is shown anddescribed in more detail with reference to FIG. 5, below.

Select connection (step 504) can present the user with one or morewireless computing devices that resulted from the generating a list ofdevices operation (step 506). In embodiments, the medical device liststhe approved wireless computing devices as they are discovered. Asdiscussed in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the listcan be sorted alphabetically, in order of use, or by distance from themedical device. In embodiments, the order of use is a frequencyalgorithm that stores how often a connection has been made with aparticular computing device.

In embodiments, the user can request that the list of wireless computingdevices be refreshed, which initiates step 506 again. In embodiments,the user can select a wireless computing device via a touchscreen on themedical device or via buttons on the medical device's housing. Anexample user interface showing a list of wireless computing devices inrange of a medical device is shown in FIG. 6.

In some embodiments, the user will have a laptop or tablet computer, forexample, that is wirelessly connected to an electronic medical recordsystem. In embodiments, these wireless computing devices are pre-pairedwith one or more of the medical devices. Additionally, the wirelesscomputing device can broadcast a friendly name, as discussed above.

After populating the list of wireless computing devices, the user caneither select one of the displayed devices or cancel the connectionprocess (step 510). In embodiments, the dialogue remains on the medicaldevice's display until the user selects a device or chooses CANCEL. Inembodiments, if only one wireless computing device is within range ofthe medical device, that wireless computing device is highlighted in thelist by default. In embodiments, if multiple approved wireless computingdevices are within range of the medical device, then the wirelesscomputing device that is calculated as being the closest can behighlighted by default.

If the user selects CANCEL, then the dialogue closes. The use 500 cancontinue without a connection being formed with the wireless computingdevices shown in the list. In embodiments, the user can return to step506 later in the use and generate a list of devices after selectingCANCEL.

If the user selects CANCEL, then the medical device can display the homescreen on the user interface (step 512). If the user chooses a wirelesscomputing device using SELECT, the medical device can display the homescreen on the user interface (step 512). That is, in some embodiments,the same or a similar home screen is displayed regardless whether theuser decided to SELECT a device or CANCEL the connection.

If the user highlights a wireless computing device and chooses SELECT,then the medical device closes the dialogue. The medical device andwireless computing device can continue the connecting (or pairing)process in the background (step 516) while the user records vital signmeasurements (step 514). In some embodiments, the vital signmeasurements are communicated from one or more measurement devices tothe medical device via a wired or wireless connection.

In embodiments, the connection between the medical device and thewireless computing device is not complete by the time the user finishestaking the patient's vitals (step 514). The medical device can present adialogue prompting the user whether to wait for the connection to becomplete (step 518). If the user chooses YES, then the medical devicecan display a visible connection indicator, and/or emit a sound, thatindicates the pairing process is complete (step 520). If the userchooses NO, then the use 500 proceeds to the transfer to EMR step (step522).

Once the medical device and wireless computing device have completedpairing, both devices can switch to Bluetooth® Classic radio to achievefaster data transfer rates. One exception is that connections between amedical device and an Apple® iPad® will remain over Bluetooth® LowEnergy.

After the medical device and wireless computing device are paired, adialogue can appear on either or both devices prompting the user whetherto transfer the vital signs to the patient's EMR (step 524). If the userchooses NO, then the use 500 proceeds to the transfer to EMR step (step522). If the user chooses YES, then the vital sign data are transferredto the wireless computing device, which transfers the data to thepatient's EMR (step 526). In some embodiments, the wireless computingdevice has been configured to send data to the patient's EMR beforereceiving the data from the medical device. Alternatively, in someembodiments, the wireless computing device can prompt the user to enteridentifying information for the patient's EMR after receiving the datafrom the medical device.

In some embodiments, the system is pre-configured to automaticallytransfer the vital sign data to the patient's EMR without prompting theuser (omitting step 524). In those embodiments, the vital sign data aretransferred to the patient's EMR as soon as the medical device receivesthe measurements and communicates those measurements to the wirelesscomputing device.

Referring again to the decision in step 522, no connection existsbetween the medical device and a wireless computing device. Thus, atstep 522 the recorded vital sign data are not available for wirelesstransfer to the EMR. However, if the user wants to send the data to theEMR, the user can initiate a transfer to the EMR via a wired connection(step 530), such as a universal serial bus (USB) connection.Alternatively, the user can enter the vital sign measurements into thepatient's EMR manually (step 532).

After the data are transferred to the patient's EMR in step 526 or step530, the user can select SAVE or CLEAR (step 528) on the medical device.Similarly, after the user has manually entered the vital sign data intothe patient's EMR in step 532, the user can select SAVE or CLEAR (step528) on the medical device. Pressing SAVE in step 528 will cause thepatient's data to be stored in the medical device's memory and theninitiate the start new patient dialogue (step 504). Pressing CLEAR willclear the data and initiate the start new patient dialogue (step 504).

At the finish of use 500, the user can repeat the process with anotherpatient. In some embodiments, the user would return the medical deviceto a central location or hallway and take their wireless computingdevice with them to the next patient's room, where they can repeat theconnection process with the same or a different medical device.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating example actions 600 comprisingthe generate list of devices step (step 506). The example actionsinclude listen for advertisements from wireless computing devices 602,receive the transmitter power of wireless computing devices 604, look up“real address” of wireless computing devices 606, list devices asdiscovered 608, and sort list of wireless computing devices 610. Otherembodiments may exclude some or all of these actions or add additionalactions.

Generate list of devices (step 506) can include listening foradvertisements from wireless computing devices 602. In theseembodiments, the medical device can be considered an “initiator” becausethe medical device is looking to form a connection to another device.The wireless computing devices can be configured to transmit advertisingpackets on the advertising channels.

In embodiments, some or all of the wireless computing devices have beenpaired and/or bonded with some or all of the medical devices before theuser's use 500 begins. In embodiments, a configuration file stored onthe medical device contains an approved list of wireless computingdevices the medical device is allowed to pair with. In an embodiment, ifthe configuration file does not list any wireless computing devices,then the medical device searches for all Bluetooth® devices withinrange. In an embodiment, if the configuration file lists specificwireless computing devices, then the medical device searches only forthose devices. In some embodiments, the pairing and/or bonding wasperformed between the medical device and each wireless computing deviceseparately and before example use 500, for example by a technician.

In embodiments, if the configuration file lists approved wirelesscomputing devices, then a configuration tool can also allow a user tomanually input a name or label to display when the medical devicedetects that wireless computing device. These names can be termed“user-friendly” or an “alias.” For instance, a given wireless computingdevice might be a laptop with media access control (MAC) addressxx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx, but the medical device displays “Amy's Laptop.”

In some embodiments, the wireless computing devices are pre-programmedto broadcast a “user-friendly name” of the device in the non-directedadvertisements. Broadcast, as used herein, can mean to send data in“non-connectable undirected advertising events”. The broadcast can beadvertised over 1 to 3 radio frequency channels, which can be selectedduring the device's configuration. The time between broadcasts, alsoknown as the advertising interval, can be from 20 ms to 10.24 s; from100 ms to 5 s; from 500 ms to 2 s; from 250 ms to 1 s; from 1 s to 3 s;or from 750 ms to 1.5 s. In embodiments, the broadcast does not includethe MAC address of the wireless computing device.

In embodiments, the user-friendly name can be up to 248 bytes long. Inembodiments, the wireless computing device is programmed to broadcast a“user-friendly name” of up to 32 bytes or of up to 31 bytes. In otherembodiments, the user-friendly name is limited to a maximum of 28 bytes.In those embodiments, the broadcast can include the transmitter power ofthe Bluetooth® radio. As an example, a wireless computing device isnamed “Jonathan James Doeington's Laptop,” which contains 33 characters.If the broadcast limit is 28 bytes, the wireless computing device couldbroadcast a truncated version, such as “Jonathan James Doeington,” or anabbreviated version, such as “J. J. Doeington's Laptop”.

Using Bluetooth® Classic to scan for wireless computing devices hasdrawbacks over the instantly disclosed methods that employ Bluetooth®Low Energy. For instance, Bluetooth® Classic does not provide a way forthe medical device to discover which wireless computing devices are inrange without attempting to connect to every device in the paired devicelist. Because the medical device will initiate the connection, themedical device expects the wireless computing devices to be connectable.Connectable devices do not transmit; rather, they wait for theconnecting device to page them. In other words, the proximitydetermination, described in more detail below, could not occur withoutthe medical device connecting to each device in range that is listed inthe paired device list.

Detecting connection failures attributable to a device being out ofrange can take 5 to 10 seconds. If there are twelve or more wirelesscomputing devices in the paired device list, then the detection of alldevices within range could take two minutes. Such a long wait isundesirable.

Additionally, using the discoverable functionality in Bluetooth® Classicis less advantageous than the instant method. Using the discoverablefunctionality would require the wireless computing devices to bediscoverable all the time. The medical device would perform inquiry tofind all devices in range. This can be slow, as discovery can take 30seconds or more by the time every friendly name is fetched. Also, thiscould be dangerous, as a bad actor could find the wireless computingdevice and attempt to pair with the device using “Just Works” pairing.

In the embodiment where the wireless computing device does not supportBluetooth® Low Energy and just Bluetooth® Classic, the medical devicecan be configured to display the entire paired device list. The list canbe sorted by friendly name and the user can scroll through the list tofind their wireless computing device. In these embodiments, the medicaldevice does not need to attempt to discover or connect with each device,which can be time-consuming and undesirable.

Generating the list of devices (step 506) can also include receiving thetransmitter power of the devices 604. As discussed above, the wirelesscomputing devices can be configured to transmit their Bluetooth® radiotransmitter power in the advertising packets. Additionally, the medicaldevice can be configured to read the received signal strength indication(RSSI). In embodiments, the medical device can use the RSSI in sortingthe device list 610. In other embodiments, the medical device can useboth the transmitter power and the RSSI in sorting the device list 610.Using both the transmitter power and the RSSI can produce a moreaccurate assessment of the proximity of each detected wireless devicerelative to the other detected devices.

Additionally, generating the list of devices (step 506) can includelooking up the “real address” of one or more wireless computing devices606. In embodiments, the wireless computing devices are configured tobroadcast “user-friendly” names in the advertising broadcasts instead oftheir MAC address. In those embodiments, the medical device has a listassociating the “user-friendly” names of wireless computing devices withtheir MAC or “real” address.

During step 506, the user interface can display the devices as they arediscovered 608. In some embodiments, the wireless computing device thatis closest to the medical device, which can be the user's wirelesscomputing device, is discovered first. In those embodiments, thisfunctionality enables the user to quickly select their wirelesscomputing device for pairing.

In embodiments, the medical device can be configured to sort the list ofdevices 610. In some embodiments, the medical device sorts the devicesby proximity. The proximity determination can include the signalstrength of each wireless computing device or the signal strength ofeach wireless computing device and the transmitter power of eachwireless computing device. In some embodiments, the medical device sortsthe devices alphabetically.

In some embodiments, the medical device sorts the devices in order ofuse, with the devices paired-with most often listed at the top. In thoseembodiments, wireless computing devices that have paired with themedical device an equal number of times can be sorted by the last timethe pairing occurred, with the most recently-connected wirelesscomputing device being listed first. For example, if Dr. Smith paired acomputing device with the medical device first, then Dr. Smith would belisted first for the next (second) user, Dr. Jones. If Dr. Jones thenuses it third, Dr. Jones would be listed first because although Dr.Smith and Dr. Jones have each paired with the device once, Dr. Jones wasthe most recent. In embodiments, the list of recently-paired devices iscleared at given intervals, such as, for example, every 1 hour, every 2hours, every 4 hours, every 8 hours, every 10 hours, every 12 hours, andevery 24 hours.

FIG. 6 depicts an example user interface 700 displaying a list ofdiscovered devices. The example user interface 700 can be displayed by amedical device. The example user interface 700 can correspond to theselect connection step (step 504) in example use 500, shown in FIG. 4and described in more detail above. In the example user interface 700, alist 702 of wireless computing devices is shown and one of the wirelesscomputing devices is pre-selected 704, as shown by highlighting. Otherembodiments can include more or fewer icons in the display, and theicons can have different names or depictions. Also, other embodimentscan include more or fewer discovered wireless computing devices.

In embodiments, the example user interface 700 can display the wirelesscomputing devices as they are discovered. In some embodiments, the userinterface 700 can include an icon, such as an hour glass, indicatingthat the medical device is still populating the device list 702. Inexample user interface 700, “Mary's Laptop” is preselected 704 and islisted as the first of four discovered devices. The list 702 can besorted according to the methods described with reference to sort list ofdevices 610 with reference to FIG. 5, above.

In embodiments, the user selects a highlighted wireless computing device704 using directional arrows or by touching the medical device screenand selecting DONE (or OK, SELECT, etc.). In some embodiments, after theuser chooses a wireless computing device, the pairing process commencesin the background and the medical device user interface can display ahome screen or a record vitals screen.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating physical components (i.e.,hardware) of a computing device 1800 with which embodiments of thedisclosure may be practiced. The computing device components describedbelow may be suitable to act as the computing devices described above,such as wireless computing device and/or medical device of FIG. 1. In abasic configuration, the computing device 1800 may include at least oneprocessing unit 1802 and a system memory 1804. Depending on theconfiguration and type of computing device, the system memory 1804 maycomprise, but is not limited to, volatile storage (e.g., random accessmemory), non-volatile storage (e.g., read-only memory), flash memory, orany combination of such memories. The system memory 1804 may include anoperating system 1805 and one or more program modules 1806 suitable forrunning software applications 1820 such as the Bluetooth Low EnergyApplication 180. The operating system 1805, for example, may be suitablefor controlling the operation of the computing device 1800. Furthermore,embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced in conjunction with agraphics library, other operating systems, or any other applicationprogram and is not limited to any particular application or system. Thisbasic configuration is illustrated in FIG. 7 by those components withina dashed line 1808. The computing device 1800 may have additionalfeatures or functionality. For example, the computing device 1800 mayalso include additional data storage devices (removable and/ornon-removable) such as, for example, magnetic disks, optical disks, ortape. Such additional storage is illustrated in FIG. 7 by a removablestorage device 1809 and a non-removable storage device 1810.

As stated above, a number of program modules and data files may bestored in the system memory 1804. While executing on the processing unit1802, the program modules 1806 (e.g., Bluetooth Low Energy Application180) may perform processes including, but not limited to, generate listof devices, broadcast user-friendly name, broadcast transmitter power,determine proximity of wireless computing device, connect with wirelesscomputing device, transfer vital sign data to a patient's EMR, sort listof wireless computing devices within range, and other processesdescribed with reference to the figures as described herein. Otherprogram modules that may be used in accordance with embodiments of thepresent disclosure, and in particular to generate screen content, mayinclude electronic mail and contacts applications, word processingapplications, spreadsheet applications, database applications, slidepresentation applications, drawing or computer-aided applicationprograms, etc.

Furthermore, embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced in anelectrical circuit comprising discrete electronic elements, packaged orintegrated electronic chips containing logic gates, a circuit utilizinga microprocessor, or on a single chip containing electronic elements ormicroprocessors. For example, embodiments of the disclosure may bepracticed via a system-on-a-chip (SOC) where each or many of thecomponents illustrated in FIG. 7 may be integrated onto a singleintegrated circuit. Such an SOC device may include one or moreprocessing units, graphics units, communications units, systemvirtualization units and various application functionality all of whichare integrated (or “burned”) onto the chip substrate as a singleintegrated circuit. When operating via an SOC, the functionality,described herein, with respect to the Bluetooth Low Energy Application180 may be operated via application-specific logic integrated with othercomponents of the computing device 1800 on the single integrated circuit(chip). Embodiments of the disclosure may also be practiced using othertechnologies capable of performing logical operations such as, forexample, AND, OR, and NOT, including but not limited to mechanical,optical, fluidic, and quantum technologies. In addition, embodiments ofthe disclosure may be practiced within a general purpose computer or inany other circuits or systems.

The computing device 1800 may also have one or more input device(s) 1812such as a keyboard, a mouse, a pen, a sound or voice input device, atouch or swipe input device, etc. The output device(s) 1814 such as adisplay, speakers, a printer, etc. may also be included. Theaforementioned devices are examples and others may be used. Thecomputing device 1800 may include one or more communication connections1816 allowing communications with other computing devices 1818. Examplesof suitable communication connections 1816 include, but are not limitedto, RF transmitter, receiver, and/or transceiver circuitry; universalserial bus (USB), parallel, and/or serial ports. Additionally, thecommunication connections 1816 can include a Bluetooth Low Energy Radio.

The term computer readable media as used herein may includenon-transitory computer storage media. Computer storage media mayinclude volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable mediaimplemented in any method or technology for storage of information, suchas computer readable instructions, data structures, or program modules.The system memory 1804, the removable storage device 1809, and thenon-removable storage device 1810 are all computer storage mediaexamples (i.e., memory storage.) Computer storage media may include RAM,ROM, electrically erasable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory orother memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or otheroptical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other article ofmanufacture which can be used to store information and which can beaccessed by the computing device 1800. Any such computer storage mediamay be part of the computing device 1800. Computer storage media doesnot include a carrier wave or other propagated or modulated data signal.

Communication media may be embodied by computer readable instructions,data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated datasignal, such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, andincludes any information delivery media. The term “modulated datasignal” may describe a signal that has one or more characteristics setor changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. Byway of example, and not limitation, communication media may includewired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, andwireless media such as acoustic, radio frequency (RF), infrared, andother wireless media.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may be utilized in variousdistributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remoteprocessing devices that are linked through a communications network in adistributed computing environment.

The flow diagrams depicted herein are just examples. There may be manyvariations to these diagrams or the steps (or operations) describedtherein without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. Forinstance, the steps may be performed in a differing order, or steps maybe added, deleted or modified.

While embodiments have been described, it will be understood that thoseskilled in the art, both now and in the future, may make variousimprovements and enhancements can be made.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for connecting with a wireless device,comprising: receiving, at a host medical computing device, a Bluetooth®low-energy broadcast from one or more wireless devices that are in arange of the host medical computing device, wherein the host medicalcomputing device is configured to receive vital signs data of a patient,the vital signs data being obtained from at least one of: a thermometer,a heart rate monitor, a pulse oximeter, a non-invasive blood pressuremonitor, and a respiration rate monitor; and wherein the Bluetooth®low-energy broadcast includes a user-friendly alias that corresponds toa media access control (MAC) address of the one or more wirelessdevices; identifying the one or more wireless devices by associating theMAC address with the user-friendly alias; sorting the one or morewireless devices; pre-pairing the one or more wireless devices with thehost medical computing device; on a device selection display, displayinga name for each of the one or more wireless devices, wherein the namedisplayed corresponds to the user-friendly alias of the one or morewireless devices; and connecting to one of the one or more wirelessdevices as a background process, including: closing the device selectiondisplay; and recording vital sign measurements while connecting to theone or more wireless devices.
 2. The method for connecting with awireless device of claim 1, further comprising receiving a transmitterpower from at least one of the one or more wireless devices.
 3. Themethod for connecting with a wireless device of claim 2, wherein the oneor more wireless devices are sorted by the received transmitter powerfrom at least one of the one or more wireless devices.
 4. The method forconnecting with a wireless device of claim 1, further comprising:determining the signal strength of the one or more wireless devices. 5.The method for connecting with a wireless device of claim 4, furthercomprising: receiving a transmitter power from at least one of the oneor more wireless devices; and determining a distance of the one or morewireless devices from the host medical computing device using the signalstrength and the transmitter power of the one or more wireless devices.6. The method for connecting with a wireless device of claim 5, whereinthe one or more wireless devices are sorted using the distance from eachwireless device to the host medical computing device.
 7. The method forconnecting with a wireless device of claim 1, wherein the name comprisesup to 28 bytes.
 8. The method for connecting with a wireless device ofclaim 1, wherein the one or more wireless devices are sorted by theorder in which the wireless devices were last connected to the hostmedical computing device; and further comprising pre-selecting one ofthe one or more wireless devices based on the wireless device mostrecently connected to the host medical computing device.
 9. A system forcommunicating vital signs data wirelessly, comprising: a host medicalcomputing device configured to receive vital signs data of a patient,the vital signs data being obtained from at least one of: a thermometer,a heart rate monitor, a pulse oximeter, a non-invasive blood pressuremonitor, and a respiration rate monitor, and including non-transientstorage media containing instructions stored thereon, where theinstructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the hostmedical computing device to: receive a Bluetooth® low-energy broadcastfrom one or more electronic medical records portal computing devices,wherein the Bluetooth® low-energy broadcast includes a user-friendlyalias that corresponds to a media access control (MAC) address of one ormore wireless devices; identify one or more electronic medical recordsportal computing devices that are in a range of the host medicalcomputing device by associating the MAC address with the user-friendlyalias; sort the one or more electronic medical records portal computingdevices; on a device selection display, display a name for each of theone or more electronic medical records portal computing devices, whereinthe name displayed corresponds to the user-friendly alias of the one ormore wireless devices; and connect to one of the one or more electronicmedical records portal computing devices as a background process,including: closing the device selection display; and recording vitalsign measurements while connecting to the one or more wireless devices,wherein the one or more electronic medical records portal computingdevices have been pre-paired with the host medical computing device;wherein the electronic medical records portal computing device includesnon-transient storage media containing instructions stored thereon,where the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, causethe host medical computing device to: activate a Bluetooth® low-energyradio; broadcast a user-friendly name via the Bluetooth® low-energyradio; form a Bluetooth® Classic connection with the host medicalcomputing device; and deactivate the Bluetooth® low-energy radio. 10.The system for communicating vital signs data wirelessly of claim 9,wherein the host medical computing device is further configured to: sendthe one or more vital signs measurements to the electronic medicalrecords portal computing device, wherein the electronic medical recordsportal computing device is further configured to receive the one or morevital signs measurements from the host medical computing device.
 11. Thesystem for communicating vital signs data wirelessly of claim 10,wherein the electronic medical records portal computing device isfurther configured to send one or more of the one or more vital signsmeasurements to an electronic medical record corresponding to thepatient.
 12. The system for communicating vital signs data wirelessly ofclaim 11, wherein the host medical computing device disconnects from theelectronic medical records portal computing device after sending the oneor more vital signs measurements.
 13. The system for communicating vitalsigns data wirelessly of claim 9, wherein the host medical computingdevice is further configured to: determine the signal strength of theone or more electronic medical records portal computing devices; receivea transmitter power from the electronic medical records portal computingdevice; and determine a distance of the electronic medical recordsportal computing device from the host medical computing device using thesignal strength and the transmitter power of the one or more electronicmedical records portal computing devices.